genetic code

(Newser) -
Fears of a serious natural-rubber shortage should have surgical glove, condom, and especially tire manufacturers shaking in their rubber boots. But Washington State University researchers have pinpointed a creative way to potentially create more natural rubber while also making use of what's usually just a pesky weed. The study...
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Absentee fathers not to blame, study says

(Newser) -
Absentee fathers may not be at fault for daughters who experiment with sex at an early age, the Economist reports. Researchers have long noted that girls with no dad around tend to reach sexual maturity earlier, suffer from depression, criticize their bodies, and get pregnant early on. But a new...
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(Newser) -
Following the lead of Britain and 15 US states, the FBI plans to swab suspects for DNA upon arrest—a move expected to massively expand the feds' genetic database and spark criticism from civil rights advocates, the New York Times reports. But law enforcement officials praise the practice and compare...
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Variations found in millions of people may help drugs find targets

(Newser) -
Two genetic variations that increase the risk of stroke are present in an unexpectedly large proportion of the population, Reuters reports. Scientists analyzed the genomes of over 19,000 people, looking for single-letter changes in DNA in those who had experienced ischemic strokes. The two variations they identified, located near...
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Portuguese water dogs are top breed for genetic study

(Newser) -
The Obama puppy may still be a bit of a mystery to a curious public, but his genetic code should be familiar to scientists: Portuguese water dogs are the top breed for genetic study, helping shed light on anything from how a dog’s size is determined to whether it’...
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(Newser) -
Scientists have unlocked cancer's genetic blueprint for the first time, the New York Times reports. Working with cells from a woman who died of leukemia, they decoded her entire DNA sequence and zeroed in on ten mutations that occurred only in the cancerous cells. Researchers say the breakthrough could someday...
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Gene seems associated with narcolepsy particularly common among Japanese

(Newser) -
We may be step closer to understanding the genetic basis for narcolepsy, say Japanese scientists who looked at the DNA of those suffering from the condition. In people who exhibit the excessive daytime sleepiness, vision problems, and muscle weakness associated with narcolepsy, one particular gene variant shows up with significant...
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Simple DNA test reveals fish sellers' bait-and-switch

(Newser) -
Two New York City high school students used DNA testing to uncover a bait-and-switch scam in local restaurants and fish markets, the New York Times reports. Fish being sold as prized white tuna turned out to be the much more common—and cheaper—Mozambique tilapia, while red snapper proved to...
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Scientists disocover 3 genetic hot spots

(Newser) -
Missing chunks of DNA increase a child's chance of developing schizophrenia by up to 10 times, say to two major international studies. Scientists are calling the data from more than 3,000 schizophrenia patients a huge step toward finding the genetic source of the disease, which could ultimately help doctors...
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Personal genome readouts now on shopping list for super-rich

(Newser) -
A Switzerland-based millionaire is paying to have his personal genetic code mapped out, the New York Times reports. He is only the second person to ever have done so, but genetics companies say interest is high despite the $350,000 price tag for decoding all 6 billion units in an...
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Services link families whose kids were once labeled autistic

(Newser) -
New procedures that scan all 46 human chromosomes are helping doctors classify disorders once lumped together as "developmentally delayed" or "autistic"—and helping parents connect to families whose children also have uncommon conditions. The New York Times looks at the lives of parents isolated by their experience...
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Gene indicates Neanderthals may have had language capabilities like ours

(Newser) -
Neanderthals may have spoken much like we do, new research shows. Scientists examined a gene linked to language called FOXP2 in the DNA of cavemen bones discovered in northern Spain, and found that it was identical to ours. The gene is the only one known to be involved in human...
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Scientists reconstruct DNA using new twist on old technique

(Newser) -
Instead of combing databases for clues about woolly mammoth DNA, scientists literally combed the extinct mammals, and the technique has led to a breakthrough: genetic information reconstructed from a hair shaft. Long considered an inferior source for DNA mining, hair turns out to benefit from the presence of keratin, a...
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Genes more complex than scientists thought

(Newser) -
A new map of human DNA shows just how complex we really are – so much so that scientists can’t even pin down which genes are making our eyes blue. "I found out that I have [only] a high probability of having blue eyes," says azure-eyed biologist...
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